Diocesan News
Liverpool FC Coaches Run Soccer Camp in the Shankill
The annual visit to Belfast’s Shankill area by Liverpool FC community coaches made the news this year when the European Cup went missing.
Fortunately the replica of the famous cup – last picked up by Liverpool in 2005 – was only temporarily misplaced in transit, and the cameras from UTV followed Sister Valerie Thom of the Church Army to the airport where it was successfully retrieved.
Head Coach Eddie Sullivan with Sister Valerie Thom of the Church Army
This is the fifth year in a row that Valerie, who works for the Church Army and Connor Diocese, has organised the project.
“When I first came here I looked around to see how I could get into the community,” said Valerie. “I wrote to various Championship League clubs and Liverpool was the only one to come back with a positive answer.”
Now the trip to the Shankill is an annual event for Eddie Sullivan and his team of community coaches – much to the delight of the dozens of young boys and girls who turn out for fun, friendship and a few pointers on the game.
The coaches were accompanied by chaplain Bill Bygroves, who led a gospel presentation at St Columba’s, Whiterock.
“The project is very positive for the area and very positive for the church. It shows that the church is not just for a Sunday morning but is willing to get out into the community,” said Valerie.
Around 70 children aged from six to 16 took part in the three day scheme at Paisley Park. Among them was a group of 10 who travelled up each day from Ashgrove Rovers FC, a cross community team in Newry.
Josephine Burns, who brought the boys up, said: “They have been looking forward to this for months. It is a great chance for them to meet new friends. They all enjoy it, football is a universal language.”
Valerie said: “For me it is about putting out a positive image of the Shankill, which gets lots of negative coverage. This community needs to pull together again and get confidence in itself.
“This project is a chance to reach people with the gospel who would never enter a church door. They will come and listen to Bill (the chaplain) and that is Christianity in action.”
For further information please contact:
Connor Diocesan Communications Officer
Contact Details
Karen Bushby
028 4066 0798
07766103880
[email protected]